Predicting The Wrestlemania 35 Card

Written By Ben Hercik

We are officially on the Road to Wrestlemania! This is a fun time of year, and with it we see the end of some stories and the begining of new stories. I think that we all know that the show is going to be long and just have to accept it at this point. But that means that the potential for great matches is there, and so many matches are going to deliver. Looking back at last year’s wrestlemania, there was not one bad match on the card, and they all served their purpose, even if some results were confusing. This one is quite long, so let’s dive right into it!

Pre-Show: Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I think that the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal should get a bit of a revamp starting this year. The winner should be someone that is an up and comer. Someone we don’t know to much about, but the WWE want us to get behind. I think the perfect answer for that this year lies in Apollo Crews. I think that by years end, we will all be more invested in Apollo than we were at this point last year, and he may even win a championship or two along the way. I would love to see Tye Dillinger to be the last man eliminated and have them start investing in him as well.

WINNER: Apollo Crews

Pre-Show: Women’s Battle Royal

What to make of this match is tough this year, is the fact that last year's winner was someone who was unpredictable. Not a single prediction that I watched or read took Naomi, so now I try to think like the bookers and I can only really see two names fighting it out for the top spot. One is Natalya, who was the iron woman for the women’s Rumble. The other hand is Ruby Riott, someone I have been begging WWE to push as a singles star while Morgan and Logan focus on the Tag Titles. As for a winner, it was very tough, but I think that 2019 is the breakout year for Riott, and Ruby gets the job done.

WINNER: Ruby Riott

Pre-Show: Buddy Murphy (C) Vs. Lio Rush (Cruiserweight Championship)

Buddy Murphy is running out of challengers over on 205 Live. One part of me would love to see an Elimination Chamber Match for the championship, but that's not why we're here. I think this match would be so fun. You have two guys that are the future of the WWE. These guys are both so good that they deserve to be on the wrestlemania card it doesn't even matter that its heel vs heel. I think that the reign of Murphy has made him an amazing star, but it’s time someone else took the title for a spin and Lio Rush makes perfect sense to me. I have loved his work for a long time, and this will just add to the legacy that Rush has made at only 24 years old.

WINNER: Lio Rush

Asuka (C) Vs. Sonya Deville/Ember Moon/Nikki Cross (Smackdown Women’s Championship)

This is the hardest match to figure out. I was convinced that Asuka vs Ember was happening, and Ember’s Twitter activity supports this. For weeks leading up to the Rumble, Ember had been tweeting out cryptic tweets all starting with the same thing, ‘Dear A’. The only women’s wrestler on the main roster with one name that starts with an A? Asuka. But Ember injured her elbow in the Women’s Rumble, and as of writing, the severity of the injury is unknown (or if its a work). If she does miss Wrestlemania, then who would take her place? It was reported that officials were surprised with the pop that Nikki Cross got in the Rumble, so they could go that route. Or they could give a new face a chance at a title, and Sonya presents an interesting case for it. She has held up her end of the matches with Asuka well, but is that enough? As for the winner, I will take anyone other than Asuka, and the simple reason is for the story. Asuka becomes someone who can get the job done normally, but when the bright lights come on and the big stage is out, she can’t get the job done, and she has to overcome it.

WINNER: The Wrestler Nor Named Asuka

Braun Strowman Vs. Drew McIntyre

I would be more surprised if this match didn’t happen. At either Elimination Chamber or Fastlane, Braun is getting his hands on Baron Corbin. This then gives him his first one on one match at Wrestlemania and gets one of the future stars on the card in Drew McIntyre. I expect the McIntyre push to start here, and after the match, I think Braun needs to go away for a bit. His character is so damaged right now, that he needs a restart and this is the perfect place for him to take his leave. He puts over a fellow young star and McIntyre can go on to bigger matches and feuds.

WINNER: Drew McIntyre

R-Truth (C) Vs. Samoa Joe Vs. Shinsuke Nakamura Vs. Rey Mysterio Vs. Rusev Vs. Mustafa Ali Vs. Jeff Hardy (United States Championship)

A ton of moving parts in this one. You have the R-Truth, Rusev and Nakamura feud, the Joe vs Hardy feud, the Joe vs Ali feud, and Rey Mysterio because I couldn’t find anywhere else on the card for him and a big name like him makes no sense being on the pre-show. Yet we got Nakamura on the pre-show at Royal Rumble so what do I know. I think this match has tons of potential however. You have seven guys here that are just amazing in the ring, and guys that just get wrestling. I am somewhat torn on this match and it is because of two wrestlers, Samoa Joe and Mustafa Ali. These two have been feuding for a while now. This is a tough one, but one thing that has been sticking with me is something that Jeff Hardy said. Joe has yet to win a championship on the main roster, so I see him getting that championship here.


WINNER: Samoa Joe

Finn Balor (C) Vs. Elias (Intercontinental Championship)

I’ve changed this matchup quite a few times. I first had Bobby Lashley vs Apollo Crews, then I changed it to Bobby Lashley vs Finn Balor, now I think that Balor vs Elias makes sense. I would love to see these two lock up for the championship. My only question is does this make sense? I don’t think they want to play hot potato with the Intercontinental Championship, but I don’t think Balor is staying on Raw after Wrestlemania. Once Smackdown is moved to Fox, it is going to focus more on the wrestling aspect of WWE, and Balor fits that perfectly. The sooner they put the championship on Balor, the more likely him losing it at Wrestlemania happens. Elias seems like someone that WWE has wanted to get behind, but just haven’t found the right time for it. What better time than at Wrestlemania?

WINNER: Elias

Chad Gable & Bobby Roode (C) Vs. AOP Vs. The Revival (RAW Tag Team Championships)

This one is the least likely to happen based on the rumors and the injuries. I would love for this to happen at Wrestlemania. You have 6 guys that just get tag team wrestling, and it would be a treat to watch it. It was rumored that the WWE wanted to invest more in their tag team division, and I think AOP and The Revival should be key focus in that case. They deserve the titles more than Roode and Gable, but the question is when do they finally pull the trigger on Revival winning the titles. I think they are the only real choice as a winner, as I doubt WWE wants to lose two of the most talented guys on their roster right now. I only hope that Revival and WWE can mend relationships and make them be the focal point of tag team wrestling in the company.

WINNER: Revival

AJ Styles Vs. Randy Orton

t has been TWO YEARS of these guys on the same brand, and yet Elimination Chamber would be the first time that these two could possibly lock up. I think this match could be great, but it won’t be given the time some of the other matches will get. It is tough to think of a winner. Both guys make sense to win, but what makes me wonder is what is next for both men. I can see both men moving to Raw, but I only think one is going, and that would be Orton. AJ will be joining Orton in taking up a lighter schedule soon, but as for this match I see Styles winning, especially considering the year he had in comparison to Orton.

WINNER: AJ Styles

Sasha Banks & Bayley (C) Vs. Lita & Trish Stratus (WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships)

I think this match will be really good. You have two of the best workers today and tow wrestlers who proved that they can still go at Evolution. I think that these four would have amazing chemistry together and help provide the new tag championships a much needed big match. Sasha and Bayley proved that they are able to put on great matches and this would give them another chance to have them show just how good they can be. As far as winners go, I am a member of the ‘Part time champs are bad for business’ club. I believe if they wanted to, Trish and Lita could wrestle full time if they wanted to, but I don’t think that they want to due to family and life outside of WWE.

WINNER: Sasha Banks & Bayley

The Miz & Shane McMahon (C) Vs. The Usos (Smackdown Tag Team Championships)

I struggled with where to put this match. You have so many places that it could work, but a bit of a cooldown period would be really needed on this show. You have arguably the best tag team in the world today and the best story the tag team division has seen in a while. I think if Miz is to turn on Shane sooner rather than later, then Wrestlemania is the perfect stage for it to happen.It also gives the Usos the tag team championship match they deserve to have on the main card. Not the triple threat like last year, a true proper tag team match. The only way I see this match ending is with the Usos winning the championships and having The Miz turn on Shane.

WINNERS: The Usos

Dean Ambrose Vs. Triple H

It is hard to see this match happening, but I think this is the match we are going to get this match. It is a shame that they messed up Ambrose character as much as they did. Dean was one of the main stars for WWE and they ruined it. I think he gets one more big send off match, and the perfect person is Hunter. What is tough is to pick a winner. Dean is leaving so you have that playing into it, but part of me thinks that WWE still would love to have him return someday, and want him to be successful wherever he goes next. I think for that sole purpose, Ambrose gets that elusive Wrestlemania main show win that he is missing on the main show.

WINNER: Dean Ambrose

Daniel Bryan (C) Vs. Andrade (WWE Championship)

This would be an interesting one. You have a heel vs heel matchup, but what I think is more interesting is the potential length this match could have. You have two guys that just get wrestling. These two could easily put on a 45 minute technical match, and we would eat it all up. I have loved the recent work by both men and I think the booking of both men is leading to this point. Bryan is probably going to win the Elimination Chamber match, and Andrade is going to win the match with Rey Mysterio at either Elimination Chamber or Fastlane. I think the story of this match would be Andrade overcoming the odds. You have a multi time world champ in Bryan, and a big man in Rowan, while Andrade is just Andrade. Sure he brings Zelina Vega to ringside, but thats it. This is also where the rumored Andrade face turn would happen. He defys the odds and wins the WWE Championship, which is something that I think a lot of fans want to see.

WINNER: Andrade

Brock Lesnar (C) Vs. Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship)

This is the only match that we know is going to happen. It is something that has been building since Wrestlemania 31. Seth Rollins cashed in his Money in the Bank during the main event match of Lesnar vs Roman Reigns. Michael Cole put it perfectly, ‘Rollins with the heist of the century’, as Seth Rollins stole Brock Lesnar’s WWE Championship. This is the logical conclusion, and it makes more sense for Rollins to slay The Beast and bring the Universal Championship back to weekly television. If Lesnar is leaving WWE after the Saudi show, and it’s a real possibility, this is the show to have him drop the title and help elevate another superstar. This would also help the Royal Rumble match, as Rollins would be only the second Rumble winner in the past five years (Batista, Reigns, Orton, Nakamura, Rollins) to successfully win their championship opportunity.

WINNER: Seth Rollins

Ronda Rousey (C) Vs. Charlotte Flair Vs. Becky Lynch (WWE RAW Women’s Championship)

This is going to be the match. Am I happy about it? No. Have I accepted it? Yes. I partly think that the reason for adding Charlotte to the match is for media publicity. You have Charlotte who did the most recent version of the ESPN Body Issue, and a last name even non wrestling fans can recognize. Everyone knows the name Flair from Ric Flair’s days in the business. You also have Ronda Rousey who brought so much media publicity to the company when she signed, and when she won the championship. She is a magnet for media thanks to her career in UFC, which is the reason that she is the champ. But she does have the wrestling skill and took to the sport so well, and it was almost a seamless transition for her. All that being said, the winner has to be Becky Lynch. Outside of Kenny Omega, Becky Lynch is the most over wrestler in the world right now. Every pop she gets is genuine and shows that all her hard work was worth it. She has been the one carrying this feud since November when we were supposed to get this match. This match is where you put The Man over big and is the perfect place to show the entire wrestling world that you are going to invest in the future of the women’s division, and the leader of that future is Becky Lynch.

WINNER: Becky Lynch